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Priti Patel has ducked out of one of her most important obligations (PA)

Rather like being a prime minister, being a home secretary is a binary matter – you either are in the job with all the powers and obligations it entails or you are not.

So it is odd that Priti Patel chose at the last moment to duck out of one of her most important obligations, the duty of accountability via the home affairs select committee.

Ms Patel pleads: “The committee will be aware of the recent changes in government, and in particular to the ministerial team in my department … Regrettably, as a result of this and the wider unprecedented changes since I agreed to give evidence, I will no longer be able to meet with the committee. I would however like to ensure that the session goes ahead at the next appropriate point, and suggest that we postpone until a mutually agreed date in September.”